If You Love Somebody Enough

I have a new song obsession. Ah, the rush. I hit replay 3x on my way to work this morning, making myself shed a tear (or two) in the process. This song just seeps into my chest and presses on me. A.K.A. sorry band, we're learning another new one. ha! From his 2nd LP release on Mercury, "The Ballad of Forty Dollars - And His Other Great Songs". I'm trying to figure out if I want to leave the lyrics alone and sing about a lady love or flip them and enjoy the chance to sing about rescuing a man. Because let's face it ya'll need way more rescuing.

Here's the discogs info if you wanna go full metal nerd.

https://www.discogs.com/Tom-T-Hall-Ballad-Of-Forty-Dollars-And-His-Other-Great-Songs/master/955666

Look at this regular ass guy. Gotta love the power of great writing and a good voice. I could say more about this - how women don't get the same pass and certainly not people of color, etc. But that's another post. 

I owe this song discovery and really a huge thanks to Cocaine and Rhinestones, the now hit podcast about the history of 20th century country music lovingly researched, produced and narrated by Tyler Mahan Coe. TMC is DAC's son, hence his saturation in the stories he tells as well as a sort of sympathetic "rode hard and put away wet" vibe one surely accumulates after being a band leader to an absolutely crazy, stubborn and erratic person.

I am on my 2nd full round of listening to season one of the podcast and will likely revisit some a third time. If you love country it's a Pandora's box and the stories and songs have inspired me in pretty much every way I can think.

Mid season there's a three part series who's nucleus is the hit song, "Harper Valley PTA" by Jeannie C. Riley. This record is like the Mtume - "Juicy Fruit" of country. It's always in the bin. We get it. It's not that great. However, just because a song isn't great (or one doesn't care for it) doesn't mean it doesn't have a hell of a story. Say doesn't again. Part three of the series covers Tom T. Hall. Okay, I'm sorry for what I said about Mtume. Maybe it's more like the Jerry Maguire VHS tape of country.

https://cocaineandrhinestones.com/tom-t-hall-harper-valley-pta

I'll just leave that there as TMC has done more work than I imagine I could. In other news I have a very musical week with rehearsal Wednesday and Thursday and two shows on Saturday. If you wanna hear some country music be at EJ's Urban Eatery on Saturday at noon.  Brunch begins at 8 am and Lorna Kay's One Night Stand will play from 12pm - 3pm. Matt (my dear friend and our terrific drummer) is a vegetarian and had a beautiful brunch plate last we played there so don't say it's about the BBQ. You know, unless it is and you're more moved by breakfast ribs than Ray Price. I can accept that.